Coventry Bears moved back to the top of the Western Conference after thrashing bottom club Wolverhampton.

The Bears were without several key players, including coach Alan Robinson, who was suspended following his dismissal against Manchester earlier in the season.

But despite these shortages, the team ran up a cricket score against the team already rock bottom of the league.

Carl Southwell opened the scoring after just two minutes.

More tries followed from his brother Glenn, Glenn Todd, Adie Nightingale, Adam Lyndsay, Matt Wright, Alex Van der Walt and Carl Mitchell and Francis Slater, who bother scared two apiece.

Captain Dan Price scored a hat trick, and did Struan Murray, who with nine conversions scored 30 points in the game.

Wolverhampton’s Simon Taylor ensured that the home team got on the score sheet with a try from short range.

Coventry are now top of the Western Conference, just ahead of Birmingham. Both teams have 14 points from eight games, but Coventry’s points difference is 257 compared to Birmingham’s 255.